Man says Gaston College basketball players ruined home he rented to them

GASTON COUNTY, N.C. — A Gaston College graduate says an act of kindness for his alma mater has turned into an expensive headache.

Coy Harrison said he opened his rental home to students on the basketball team, but now, he says that home has thousands of dollars in damages.

Harrison told reporter Ken Lemon the school and the players were in a housing bind and he was able to help, so he did. He said he never would have taken his home off of Airbnb without assurances from the coaches and staff that they would oversee everything.

Even over Zoom, Lemon could feel Harrison’s frustration.

“I’m pissed,” he told Lemon.

Harrison lives in Mexico now, but he said about a year ago, Gaston College’s basketball coach, staff and some alumni asked him to open his Airbnb rental home to student basketball players who had nowhere else to go.

“It was Gaston College that sold the idea,” he said. “It was Gaston College officials who came to my home address of me and ask this of me.”

Harrison said he agreed. He said college officials told him they couldn’t sign the rental agreements, so the athletes would instead. He said he was told one coach would stay with eight students, and the head coach promised to check with them daily.

Harrison said they lived in the home from last August until this past May. He said when his wife went to check on the home afterward, she was in tears.

“I opened up my home because you said you needed help,” he said. “And in return, you destroy my property.”

He said there was urine on the walls; every couch was damaged beyond repair; there was damage to the microwave, refrigerator, washer, dryer, and pool -- and that’s not all.

“They literally walked out of the house with a television that didn’t belong to them,” Harrison said.

He told Lemon it’s $8,000 to $10,000 worth of damage. He said college officials told him they’re not responsible because their names aren’t on the rental agreement.

Harrison believes they may be seeking out other homes now.

“They need to know that Gaston College is saying one thing one minute, then after they destroy your property, ‘I have nothing to do with that,’” he said.

Harrison said he and his wife have emailed the college about this for weeks, but a representative of Gaston College sent Lemon a statement saying they just found out about the problem.

“The college is actively looking into this report,” the statement reads. “At Gaston College, we strive to hold each member of our community to a high standard of respect and integrity.”

It ended saying they hope to resolve the matter amicably, but it doesn’t say how.

(WATCH BELOW: NC Airbnb property threatened $10,000 fee for negative review)

NC Airbnb property threatened $10,000 fee for negative review

©2023 Cox Media Group